Businesses in Southbank

11 Aug 2016

With Melbourne’s colder days setting in for the foreseeable future, there is no better way to warm up than by visiting your local Lindt Chocolate Café for some wintery indulgence!

With a variety of offerings ranging from cakes, waffles and sandwiches to hot chocolates, coffee and authentic Swiss chocolate, Lindt’s master chocolatier Thomas Schnetzler invites locals to come in and treat themselves.

“Winter is a time where people can get comfortable – when it’s really cold outside so you can enjoy something decadent or rich,” he said.

“The Lindt difference is that we start the whole process from scratch and make chocolate from bean to bar. There aren’t many chocolate manufacturers who make the product from the cocoa bean up and turn it into chocolate and then cakes or a waffle.”

Born and trained in Switzerland, Mr Schnetzler has worked as master chocolatier for Lindt Australia for more than 12 years and has specialised in developing its recipes and sharing his passion for all things chocolate.

He told Southbank Local News that Australians really embraced Lindt products and, with its popularity, is constantly able to update its product offering to adapt to the unique taste of the Australian market.

Whether it’s incorporating coconut into chocolate or hazelnut into a hot chocolate, he said he always loved being able to innovate Lindt’s authentic flavours.

“It’s great because it’s creative,” he said. “I’ve always liked working on new things, seeing what people like and adore as well as keep up with what trends are happening in the culinary world and translating that into chocolate, that’s always fantastic.”

Having established its first ever cafe in Sydney more than 10 years ago, Lindt’s Chocolate cafes are an Australian initiative that have been a huge success.

Mr Schnetzler said the cafes were a fantastic means of enhancing the Lindt customer experience.

“The cafes help promote that luxury feel and European ambience. Everyone can experience Lindt chocolate as it is now found in shops all around the country but it’s still truly unique, decadent and luxurious” he said.

And according to Mr Schnetzler, Melbourne is where cafe-culture truly thrives and he said Lindt’s experience operating in Southbank had been incredibly positive.

“The city evolves around the river so that’s why it’s great to have such a presence where people just come over the bridge and can feel right in the middle of everything. It’s absolutely fantastic. You’ve got it all here,” he said.

“The cafe culture is especially prominent in Melbourne. It’s such a food-savvy city. We find that in Sydney and Brisbane and so on there is a different level of food culture and Melbourne is very much where it all happens food wise.”

Lindt Chocolate Café Southbank is located at ground floor level of Southgate Melbourne.